An inspirational scuba diver with no arms is training the next generation of divers at Southport's British Sub-Aqua Club,

Nic Carapanagiotu, 56, who survived Thalidomide says having a disability is no reason to stop you following your passion and that his hobby allows him to feel like he’s flying.

The dad-of-two, who was born without arms, has had a specially adapted drysuit made – with the latex seals at the shoulders for him. and has been able to teach hundreds of students diving and snorkelling over the last 17 years.

Southport's British Sub-Aqua club will be celebrating its 50 birthday next year and Nic says no one ever batted an eyelid at his disability from his very first visit to the club in 1998.

He said: “I have very short upper limbs, my left arm is just six inches long and my right between six and seven inches long.

“I have no thumbs and three fingers on my left hand and four on my right.

“It’s meant I have had to learn to do things differently that’s all.

“I tend to use my feet a lot and my teeth. It might sound daft but I don’t know any different, to me, its natural.

“The inflator, which is normally just under a diver’s chest, has been moved to the inside of my leg and is at knee level and has a bigger button so I can inflate it with my foot.

“And I have had some alterations done to my buoyancy control device to make things easier too.

“Other than that I have a dive computer in my mask, but anyone can have one of those although they are expensive. I also have a second computer so my buddy can read it and a moulded mouthpiece that I grip with my teeth.

“I can’t thank the members of Southport Sub Aqua Club enough for all the help and support they have given me. It’s an amazing club.”

Nic recently returned from a trip to the Maldives with wife Elaine who doesn’t dive but loves to snorkel.

Nic’s disability was caused by the drug thalidomide - which prescribed to his mother who suffered with morning sickness in pregnancy.

He keeps in touch with around 440 ‘thalidomiders’ around the UK, through Facebook and attends an annual get together.

He said: “We all have the same traits. We are all self-motivated and just get on with our lives and we all like to take on challenges that some able bodied people would struggle with.

“I would always refuse help, but now I’m slowly accepting the painful fact that, now and again, I need help. It hasn’t been easy.”